The present invention relates to a tire vulcanizing system in which tire vulcanization, mold change, bladder change, mold preheating, green tire supply, and vulcanized tire discharge are performed, and a mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station therefor.
Generally, a tire vulcanizing press is mounted with a tire mold suitable for a tire to be manufactured. For this tire mold, the interior of the mold must be cleaned regularly to maintain the quality of tire. Also, in order to change the size of tire to be manufactured or the tire surface pattern, the mold must be changed during the production. Further, the mold contaminated during production is sometimes removed to be cleaned, and installed again to be used after cleaning.
When the tire mold is changed, a procedure is used in which the fastening of an upper half mold of the mold to an upper pressurizing/heating plate on the press side and the fastening of a lower half mold of the mold to a lower pressuring/heating plate on the press side are released, the mold is taken out to the outside by using a forklift, an overhead traveling crane, etc., and a new mold is installed by the reversing procedure to start the production.
In the mold change operation, it is ideal that the used mold is removed and changed to a new mold immediately after a final tire has been vulcanized in the mold to be changed so that the production can be started immediately by using the new mold. Actually, however, the arrival of a new tire to be installed is delayed, or the posting of an assistant operator is delayed, resulting in a time loss. Also, the mold is in a cool state, or even if the mold has been preheated, the press is often located far from the mold storage space. Moreover, the mold has not been heated enough to start the production immediately. As a result, the preheating operation in the press is needed after the mold change, leading to a decrease in the productivity.
For the above-described reasons, in order to avoid the decrease in the productivity, the frequency of mold change for the tire vulcanizing press is decreased to the utmost, that is, some quantities of tires must inevitably be produced continuously. However, such a continuous production cannot meet the need for decreasing the volume of inventories of products to the utmost in the recent situation in which the types of tire have increased.
From this point of view, the applicant has proposed a tire vulcanizing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8-164528 (No. 164528/1996). However, this system also has the following problem: Although tires can be produced efficiently if the vulcanization time at all vulcanizing stations is uniform, it is considerably difficult to make the vulcanization time uniform at present, so that the vulcanization time must be determined for each tire.
Therefore, the present tire vulcanizing system is desired to have the following features:
(1) Even if the frequency of mold change is increased, the productivity of the vulcanizing system is not decreased.
(2) When the mold is changed and a new mold is installed to a vulcanizing machine, the mold has been heated enough to a temperature level at which the mold can be used.
(3) At least the mold changing operation in each vulcanizing machine and the attaching/detaching operation of a supply pipe for a heating/pressurizing medium can be performed in an unattended manner.
(4) The production can be made in a different vulcanization time for each mold (for each tire).
(5) The supply equipment for a green tire well matches the mold changing equipment.
A mold mounting apparatus and a mold conveying system for a tire vulcanizing machine have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-71651 (No. 71651/1994) and Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-99437 (No. 99437/1994), but these are not satisfactory for the following reasons:
(1) The mold being transported is not provided with a heating plate, so that the temperature decreases during transportation.
(2) Work (performed by hands of the operator) for installing a mold at the position of each vulcanizing machine, and for opening the mold once to install a bladder assembly in the mold is needed. Further, the decrease in mold temperature during this work is inevitable.
(3) A supply pipe for a heating medium to a heating chamber at the outer peripheral portion of the mold must be attached and detached manually by the operator.
(4) Because it is necessary to heat the tire mold in a state in which upper and lower heating plates of a mold preheating machine and the tire mold are brought into close contact with each other, a mold pressurizing apparatus is needed at the position of the mold preheating machine, which makes the mold mounting apparatus disadvantageous economically.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and accordingly an object thereof is to provide a tire vulcanizing system and a mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station therefor, in which tires can be produced efficiently without the decrease in the rate of operation of the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station even if the frequency of mold change increases.
To solve the problems with the above-described prior art, the present invention provides a vulcanizing system comprising a mold assembly for vulcanizing a tire, which has a bladder assembly located in the tire to be supplied with a heating/pressurizing medium, a heating chamber at the outer peripheral portion of a tire mold, and upper and lower heating plates of the tire mold, and is configured movably and so as to be capable of overcoming a force to open the mold by means of the pressure in a bladder; a plurality of mold opening/closing and vulcanizing stations each of which receives the tire mold assembly and opens and closes the same, and has a vulcanized tire unloader, a green tire loader, and operating/driving means for a bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly; at least one set of changing/preheating station which performs the change of the tire mold incorporated in the mold assembly and the bladder assembly and the preheating thereof after change; and mold transportation means which reciprocates between the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station and the changing/preheating station to transport the mold assembly.
In the present invention, green tire supply means or vulcanized tire carry-out means of the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station is provided above the travel region of a transportation carriage of the mold transportation means.
Also, in the present invention, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station has mold opening/closing means comprising a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from the tire mold assembly.
Also, in the present invention, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, a base for sliding the mold assembly and positioning means provided on the base frame at the right and left of the pillar, bladder operating/driving means which is disconnected from and connected to the bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly provided at the right and left of the base frame, and heating/pressurizing medium supply means which is disconnected from and connected to the mold assembly to supply a heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber, a heating plate, and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly.
Further, in the present invention, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from the tire mold assembly, and has tire mold opening/closing means configured so as to open and close the tire mold assemblies on both sides of the pillar simultaneously or individually.
As described above, the a vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention comprises a mold assembly for vulcanizing a tire, which has a bladder assembly located in the tire to be supplied with a heating/pressurizing medium, a heating chamber at the outer peripheral portion of a tire mold, and upper and lower heating plates of the tire mold, and is configured movably and so as to be capable of overcoming a force to open the mold by means of the pressure in a bladder; a plurality of mold opening/closing and vulcanizing stations each of which receives the tire mold assembly and opens and closes the same, and has a vulcanized tire unloader, a green tire loader, and operating/driving means for a bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly; at least one set of changing/preheating station which performs the change of the tire mold incorporated in the mold assembly and the bladder assembly and the preheating thereof after change; and mold transportation means which reciprocates between the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station and the changing/preheating station to transport the mold assembly. Therefore, the following effects can be achieved.
(1) There can be provided an efficient vulcanizing station in which the rate of operation of the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station is not decreased even if the frequency of mold change increases.
(2) The tire mold, heating plate, heating chamber, and bladder assembly are taken out from the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station in a unit, and these elements can be returned to the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station in a state in which all operations relating to the mold change have been finished at the dedicated mold changing/preheating station, and can be connected automatically. Therefore, fully automatic operation at the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station can be performed, whereby the productivity of tires can be increased.
Moreover, in the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention, green tire supply means or vulcanized tire carry-out means of the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station can be provided above the travel region of a transportation carriage of the mold transportation means. Therefore, by disposing the green tire supply means above the mold transportation means, the space can be utilized effectively.
Also, in the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station has mold opening/closing means comprising a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from the tire mold assembly, or comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, a base for sliding the mold assembly and positioning means provided on the base frame at the right and left of the pillar, bladder operating/driving means which is disconnected from and connected to the bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly provided at the right and left of the base frame, and heating/pressurizing medium supply means which is disconnected from and connected to the mold assembly to supply a heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber, a heating plate, and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly. Therefore, a check valve is provided at each port of the heating plate and the heating chamber to seal the heating/pressurizing medium even during the transportation, and immediately after the tire mold assembly arrives at the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station, the tire production can be started, whereby the tire productivity is improved.
Further, in the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from the tire mold assembly, and has tire mold opening/closing means configured so as to open and close the tire mold assemblies on both sides of the pillar simultaneously or individually. Therefore, each mold assembly can be opened and closed at each mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station, so that a tire can be produced in a vulcanization time for an individual mold, whereby the tire production can be achieved efficiently.
In addition, to solve the problems with the above-described prior art, the present invention provides a mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprising a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from a tire mold assembly.
Also, the present invention provides a mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprising a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, a base for sliding a mold assembly and positioning means provided on the base frame at the right and left of the pillar, bladder operating/driving means which is disconnected from and connected to a bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly provided at the right and left of the base frame, and heating/pressurizing medium supply means which is disconnected from and connected to the mold assembly to supply a heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber, a heating plate, and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly.
Further, the present invention provides a mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station comprising a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from a tire mold assembly, and having tire mold opening/closing means configured so as to open and close the tire mold assemblies on both sides of the pillar simultaneously or individually.
As described above, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station in accordance with the present invention comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from a tire mold assembly. Therefore, there can be provided an efficient vulcanizing station in which the rate of operation of the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station is not decreased even if the frequency of mold change increases.
Also, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station in accordance with the present invention comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, a base for sliding a mold assembly and positioning means provided on the base frame at the right and left of the pillar, bladder operating/driving means which is disconnected from and connected to a bladder assembly in the tire mold assembly provided at the right and left of the base frame, and heating/pressurizing medium supply means which is disconnected from and connected to the mold assembly to supply a heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber, a heating plate, and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly. Therefore, a check valve is provided at each port of the heating plate and the heating chamber to seal the heating/pressurizing medium even during the transportation, and immediately after the tire mold assembly arrives at the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station, the tire production can be started, whereby the tire productivity is improved.
Further, the mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station in accordance with the present invention comprises a base frame, at least one pillar for elevation and guidance, which is erected on the base frame, an upper movable beam which can freely be moved vertically by being guided by the pillar, and connecting/disconnecting means for connecting and disconnecting the upper movable beam to and from a tire mold assembly, and has tire mold opening/closing means configured so as to open and close the tire mold assemblies on both sides of the pillar simultaneously or individually. Therefore, each mold assembly can be opened and closed at each mold opening/closing and vulcanizing station, so that a tire can be produced in a vulcanization time for an individual mold, whereby the tire production can be achieved efficiently.